Lying in the Dark
by korisnik
Summary: Miyuki doesn't show up to practice. Kuramochi's caring nature, on the other hand, does show itself. [manga spoilers for the most recent events. gen/pre-slash.]


Miyuki doesn't show up to morning practice. Well, it's not like he's ready to join the team for full time training yet anyway, but he's usually there every morning, either running, or checking up on his pitchers making sure they don't forget who's in charge. Kuramochi thinks maybe he finally listened to the doctors' orders and decided to take it easy, but somehow he doubts it.

He doesn't show up to class or afternoon practice, either, so after dinner Kuramochi strolls to room 203 with two rice bowls in his hands. Putting one on the ground, he gently knocks on the door. "Miyuki, you there? You were a no show today so I thought maybe you went to see Chris-senpai or something, but Rei-chan said-" he stops when he thinks he heard a muffled sound coming from the inside. He slowly opens the door, his eyes adjusting to the darkness in the room.

There's a commotion on the bed next to the door and Miyuki peeks out from under the covers, his hair toussled and face contorted in a grimace of pain.

"Put that away, just the smell of it is making me gag." he says while sitting up, his hand reaching out for the glasses on the nightstand.

Kuramochi puts the bowl on Miyuki's desk, noticing the wide open score sheets and an empty DVD case. "Spent the whole night awake poring over a game again, huh? You never learn."

"Yeah, and now I have a headache the size of a - what are you doing?" Miyuki falters when he feels Kuramochi's hand on his forehead

"Checking for temperature. You're hot."

"Thanks." Miyuki quickly grins, but it's an obviously forced grin, so Kuramochi doesn't have the heart to feel all that irritated by it. Instead he rolls his eyes, takes the empty watter bottle from the nightstand and goes in search of painkillers.

When he comes back, Miyuki's still the same as he left him, his back leaning on the wall and eyes screwed shut.

"Here," Kuramochi says as he hands him the now filled watter bottle and the pills, noticing the way Miyuki cringes at the sudden sound. "My voice bothering you?" Miyuki nods and opens his mouth to comment, but seems to think better of it.

"Well, tough luck." Kuramochi replies, but still falls silent as he sits on the edge of Miyuki's bed. With nothing better to do than sit in silence, his eyes scan the dark room and he notices the two empty beds in it. Where are Miyuki's roommates, anyway? Are they second-stringers? Third-stringers? Do they even exist? How typical, he thinks, that Miyuki gets to be left in peace while he has to spend his days trying to survive with Sawamura.

"Miyuki cracks open one eye, breaking the silence. "You shouldn't be here, you're gonna catch whatever this is. What will the team do with their captain lying sick in bed?"

"Their captain already is lying sick in bed, smartass." Kuramochi glares, "Anyway, it's too late now, there's an incubation period when it comes to viruses, right? That, and it's probably just because your immunity is down now because of, you know," he vaguely gestures at Miyuki, "Mine isn't."

"The answer seems to satisfy Miyuki, because he falls silent again after that, pulling his legs up to make room for Kuramochi at the foot of the bed and closing his eyes again.

Kuramochi rustles around, trying to make himself comfortable. At the end he decides to slide his body down the bed, with his legs on the floor and his head supported only by the wall behind him. He lets his eyes close, too, and before long they're both asleep.

Kuramochi wakes up in darkness with a pain in his neck. He stretches, feeling his tense muscles relax and slowly stands up. His gaze falls on Miyuki still sound asleep, his glasses slightly askew on his face.

He gently picks them up and sets them on the nightstand. "Stubborn idiot," he mutters, to no one in particular.

Slowly closing the door behind him, he makes a step and nearly trips over the rice bowl he left there earlier. He takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh. Ah well, he thinks, picking it up. Sawamura is probably going to be hungry when he comes back from his evening run.


End file.
